Entertainment

10 Amazing Magic Trick Videos on YouTube

Who doesn't love magic? Whether you're obsessed with finding out "how they did that," or you just like to gaze with child-like wonder at a good trick, YouTube has become a wealthy repository of illusion.

As with most things on YouTube, it's not all about big budgets and high production values. Some of the best magic videos are of the close-up, or street variety, and feature some very skilled craftsmen (and craftswomen) doing what they do best.

We've rounded up 10 of these magical treats, each one packing a solid wow factor. So sit back, relax, and get ready to enjoy some fine web-based prestidigitation. And if you have a favorite trick you were hoping to see here, be sure to toss it into the comment "hat" below.

1. The Best Card Trick in the World

It's the self-proclaimed "best," but that doesn't make it any less awesome. In one of the most-viewed card trick videos on YouTube, the anonymous magician asks the Internet to "pick a card, any card," and shuffles up some impressive results.

2. Cyril Takayama's Cigarette Magic

Illusionist Cyril Takayama is known for his performances throughout Japan, elsewhere in Asia, and on American television. This clip features a crafty disappearing cigarette that comes and goes between Takayama's fingers.

Kids: Don't get into cigarettes, unless you plan to make them disappear like this guy.

3. James Brown: Close-Up Coin Magic

"Professional Opportunist" James Brown has cultivated a style of close-up magic that incorporates sleight of hand, pick pocketing, and English charisma. Watch gleefully as he confuses an old lady with some slick coin and card tricks.

4. David Blaine Turns Coffee into Money

We all know David Blaine for his high profile public entrapments and escapes. But some of the more entertaining work can be seen in his street magic. Here, Blaine turns a presumably downtrodden man's coffee into a cup full of cash.

Whether or not the man and/or the cup are a plant can be debated. Regardless of the trick's mechanics, turning coffee into money is nothing new. Starbucks has been doing it for years.

5. Card Control

This card shark doles out a series of hearts, mixes them thoroughly back into the shuffled deck (or so it seems) and reproduces them instantly and in series, as if by...oh, what's the word...magic. It's a slick trick, and this oldie-but-goodie magic video is still drawing views over four years on.

6. Classic Cups and Balls

The folks over at MagicGeek.com, purveyors of all things tricky, have whipped up a few videos demoing some of their products. This is the classic "Cups and Balls" trick, found everywhere from the Las Vegas stage to the street corner hustle. Keep your eye on these sneaky hands and see if you can't judge where the balls will appear next.

7. Street Magic by Timur Yesilfiliz

German magician Timur Yesilfiliz hit the streets of Frankfurt last summer to mystify some unsuspecting strollers. His card tricks are especially wowing because the big reveal often happens right in the participant's own hand.

The video is in German, but is thoroughly subtitled, and well worth the extra watching/reading effort.

8. Sleight of Hand by Ekaterina Dobrokhotova

You don't see a lot of women in magic, so it's refreshing to find Moscow-born Ekaterina Dobrokhotova's illusionary stylings pop up on YouTube. Ekaterina is less about the shmoozy showmanship of her male counterparts, and all about grace.

Here, she performs some clever coin tricks developed by French magician David Stone.

9. Cap in Bottle Trick

Here's a trick you can do with any old empty water bottle, provided you've sealed some sort of demon pact with the underworld. Whereas many card tricks can be chalked up to clever counting or quick hands, this illusion can be downright jaw dropping for the uninitiated. Alas, a bit of Internet searching can reveal the secrets of this trick and ruin everything, but it sure was fun while it lasted.

10. This N' That Card Trickery

Last but not least, coming in at over 14 million views, this one-minute clip is a slick execution of a tried and true favorite called "This N' That." It only uses three cards, so there's no deck to shuffle or hide behind — just two hands, some modified playing cards, and a punchy little narration.

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